Field-ration mess-kit.



Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

2 SHEBTS-SHEET 2 G-bl'ommg 4 THE NORRIS PETERS ca, WASHINGTON, D c.

GUY H. PRESTON, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

' FIELD-RATION MESS-KIT.

' Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Application filed. February 3, 1908. Serial No. 414,149.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUY H. PRESTON, ca tainUnited States Army, a citizenof t e United States, residing at Fort Myer, in the county of Alexandriaand State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Imrovementsin Field-Ration Mess-Kits; and

' do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame. 7

My invention relates to field ration mess kits, and the object of minvention .is to make a field-ration mess- 't. of such form,

and relative dimensions that the individual receptacles shall have thegreatest possible utility, strength, and simplicity when usedseparately, and at the same time occupy the smallest possible space whenstowed for carriage. This object I attain, in part, by

extending the mouth of the canteen in'the' about it when packed. Thesaid handlesbeing curved, or hollow, andmade integral with, orpermanently V afiixed to, their respqective receptacles enable me to doaway Wit the necessity for complicated folding devices heretofore usedwhile at the same time making them strongenrmore durable, and cheaper offabrication. This I regard as a most distinctive and novel fe'at'ureofthis invention. The canteen proper is not covered, as is usual inmilitaryservices, with felt or canvas, experience having proven' that inthe small air spaces bet-ween it and the articles nested upon'it thereis provided an eficient non-conductor of heat .to insure the retentionofthe liquid contents in a cool condition; and to accomplish this end, thepans and cups are made to embrace the entire surface'of the canteen,while breaking joints, so as to effect a complete inclosure, and at thesame time shut out warmair.

The assembled kit is carried in a case of' canvas or other material,'ada ted to be.

wetted for the evaporative 'coo ing of the contents of the canteen,,all' as will morefully ap ear hereinafter. p r

eferring to the accompanying drawings forminga part of thisspecification and'in which like numerals designate like parts in all theviews :Figure 1, is a perspective view of my field ration mess-kit whentaken from its case, showing the parts in their nested condition. Fig.2, a perspective view of the parts ready to be nested. Fig. 3 a view ofthe case adapted to receive the parts as shown in Fig. 1, and showingthe disposition of the knife, fork and spoon.

Fig. 4, a detail showing how the knife, fork, or spoon may be used as alifter to hold the hot cooking utensils, and Fig. 5, a detail of theneck of the canteen, showin how the neck of the case and the hand es ofthe utensilsnest there around. i

The individual arts may be made of any suitable shapeand of any suitablematerial, but I refer to make the canteen 1, of metal for so diers. use,and of glass for campers or sportsmens use, and to round all corners tosuch an extent as will facilitate the manu facture and nesting of thesaid parts.

2 represents the neck of the canteen, which is preferably madesufficiently long to afiord an easy grasp by the alm of the hand.

7 3, indicates a pan provi ed with a handle 4, and 5, another similarpan provided with a handle 6. made on their interior of dimensions onehalf the outside dimensions of the canteen, so that they snugly fit andcover the outside of body ortion 1, and the handles 5 and 6, are eachikewise made of one half the outside dimensions of the neck 2, so thatthey snugly fit and cover said neck.

7, designates a cup, and 8, its handle. The body portion of the cup 7,is made of such a shape and dimensions that it will snugly fit over theends of and cover one half of each of the bodies of the pans 3 and 5,after they are nested on the canteen; and the handle 8, will likewisefit over and snugly cover one half of each of the handles 4 and 6, intheir nested positions; thus covering the joints made by said pans andhandles on one half of the canteen. I

9, represents a receptacle adapted to fit over the other'ends andtocover the other half of the pans 3 and 5, as well as the joint made bysuch pans on the other half of the canteen. This receptacle 9 ,isprovided with a half round notch 10, intowhich one of the handles 4 or6, 'fits'when in itsnested position. Over the receptacle 9, thereceptacle 11 is adapted to fit, and I may provide as These pans areeach preferably many receptacles 9 and 11, as is found desirable. Thesereceptacles when taken in pairs mak a good lunch box for greasy food,since they can be telescoped the one into the other and carried in thesaddle bag, haversack, pocket or other place if desired. Thesereceptacles serve as extra receptacles at mess, and also to cool hotliquids.

When the parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 1, the whole is slippedinto the case 12, the neck 13, of which fits over the neck 2, andhandles 6 and 8, in their nested position, and the hinged bottom 14, ofwhich closes around the bottom portions of the nested kit, to befastened by the buckle or other fastening means 15.

In the bottom 14, are accommodated a knife, a fork and a spoon 16, asshown, each of which is provided with a handle having a bent projection,or lug 17 adapted to fit into the holes 18, made in each of the handles4, 6 and 8, as shown, very much like a stove lifter fits into the lid ofa stove; and they thereby afford a means of readily handling each of thecooking utensils 3, 5 and 7, while hot.

The neck 2, of the canteen is preferably provided with a bead 19, havinga ilat undersurface, against which the to edges 20, of the handles 1, 6and 8 fit, anc thereby prevents liquid from running down between thecooking utensils and the canteen when drip ping from the mouth of thesaid neck 2.

The neck 13, of the cover is provided with a ring 21, to aiford astiffening means to aid in pulling the cover oil and on the kit proper.22, is one of two rings to afford means for suspending the kit, from theperson or from the saddle as desired.

It will thus be observed that I have produced a mess-kit having handledcooking utensils, as in my former patent No. 555,882, March 3, 1896, butthat I do not have to employ the hinges that have been found to be soobjectionable in that patent. Furthermore, I provide a suitable handleby which both the canteen and the nested utensils may be readily graspedat all times, which desirable feature is not present in my formerpatent.

The peculiar tapered shape of the handles 1, 6 and 8, serves to greatlystrengthen the same, and when the parts are pressed out of sheet steelthe utensil and handle make an exceedingly rigid and stiff structurecapable of standing any amount of rough usage.

It is quite easy for the soldier to overlap two handles 4 and 6, or 1and 8, hold them in one hand, and thereby present two receptacles at theserving out place, instead of one.

I may employ any suitable stoppering means for my canteen, the cork 12,being merely shown as a conventional means.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to the exactdetails of construction and arrangement of parts above set forth, sinceit is evident that both may be widely varied without departing from thespirit of my invention.

Ti hat l claim is 1. In a field ration mess-kit, the combination of areceptacle having a neck, and a second receptacle suitable for cookingfood adapted to closely fit the outside of said first receptacle andhaving a handle adapted to closely fit said neck, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a field ration mess-kit, the combiimtion of a receptacle, having aneck, and a plurality of other receptacles suitable for cooking purposesadapted to closely lit and completely cover the outside of said firstmentioned receptacle and each of said other rcceptacles provided with ahandle adapted to snugly fit and cover said neck, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a field ration mess-kit, the combination of a canteen having aneck adapted to be used as a handle; a plurality of cooking receptaclesprovided with handles adapted to snugly fit and cover the outside ofsaid can teen and neck; and a third receptacle adapted to slip over aportion of said other receptacles when in their nested position,substantially as described.

1. In a field ration 1nesskit, the combination of a canteen having aneck adapted to be used as a handle; a plurality of receptacles providedwith handles adapted to snugly lit and cover the outside of said canteenand neck, and a third receptacle provided with a handle adapted to slipover a portion of said other receptacles when in their nested position,and the handle of said third receptacle also adapted to fit over aportion of the handies of each of said other receptacles, substantiallyas described.

5. In a field ration mess-kit, the combination of a canteen having aneck adapted to be used as a handle a plurality of receptacles providedwith handles adapted to snugly fit and cover the outside of said canteenand neck; a third receptacle adapted to slip over a portion of saidother receptacles when in their nested position, and a fourth receptacleadapted to fit over said third receptacle, said third and fourthreceptacles adapted to telescope into each other to form a lunch box,substantially as described.

6. In a field ration mess-kit, the conibination of a receptacle having aneck and a second cooking receptacle adapted to closely lit the outsideof said first receptacle, and hav ing a handle adapted to closely fitthe outside of said neck, and said handle having a hole adapted toreceive a suitable lifting instrument, substantially as described.

7. In a field ration mess-kit, the combination of a canteen having aneck; a plurality of cooking receptacles provided with handles rigidtherewith adapted to nest about the outside of saidcanteen and its neck;said handles provided with h0les,,and a casing adapted to inclose andsus end said canteen and nested receptacles, an to accommodate av spoonprovided with a handle having a lug ada ted to enter each of said holes,substantial y as described.

8. In a field ration mess-kit, the combination of a canteen having aneck provided with a li a plurality of cooking receptacles provided?with handles rigid therewith adapted to nest about the outside of saidcanteen and neck and under said lip, and a casing adapted to absorbwater when wetted, having means to suspend said canteen and receptacles,and also adapted to store a fork, a spoon and a knife, substantially asdescribed.

9. In a field rationmesskit, the combinaalso adapted to store a fork, aspoon and a knife, su stantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. GUY H. PRESTON. Witnesses:

JAMES E. DODGE, A. W. NEALE, Jr.

